How long can there be a break between the birth of puppies?

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Chanel; May 6, 1988, Newport News - August 28, 2009, Port Jefferson Station) was a dachshund dog who lived 21 years and 114 days. She was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as “the oldest living dog in the world.”

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Childbirth in a dog. When should an owner worry?

Puppies can be born with their heads (the muzzle and front legs appear) or with their hind legs (the feet appear with the pads facing up). Both positions are correct. To make the bitch less tired, you can help her - while pushing, gently pull the part of the puppy that emerged from the loop. It is more convenient to pull by the hind legs (take it above the hock joint, you can pull by the head. Do not pull by the tail or toes (can be torn off) or by the jaw (can be broken). Give the born puppy to the mother, she will lick the newborn thoroughly. This is necessary for him to stimulate breathing and excretion of original feces. Sometimes bitches lick their puppies so actively that they tumble and roll to the side. Some owners are frightened by such violent manifestations of motherhood and try to take the puppy away from the bitch. Don’t be afraid, she won’t do anything bad to the puppy.

The interval between puppies varies . Usually the first 3-4 puppies are born at shorter intervals than subsequent ones. An interval of no more than an hour should be considered normal (but if two puppies appear at once, the interval before the next one may increase). Each subsequent puppy has to go through a longer birth path.

Newborn puppies have innate reflexes to search for food, they know how to find nipples and suck milk. They navigate by smell and heat. If the puppy cannot find the nipple, help him - squeeze out a drop of milk and place the nipple in his mouth. The first milk (colostrum) is very important for a newborn ; it contains antibodies and globulins that will help him cope with the new environment. Sometimes the puppy does not take the nipple in the first minutes after birth, do not despair, perhaps he had a difficult birth and needs to rest. After 15-30 minutes, invite him to try his hand again.

In the intervals between the birth of puppies, the bitch licks her firstborns. Puppies suck milk and this is very important, as it stimulates further labor. Offer the bitch to drink milk with tea, you can add a little sweet (this is the only case when a dog can have sweets).

To intensify labor in the intervals between the birth of puppies, take the bitch for a walk; it is useful to jog around the house; you can climb the stairs home, but it is not advisable to go downstairs. Just in case, they take a sheet for a walk, in case someone is born on the street.

If the bitch is very tired, give her a heart injection and glucose. Sometimes bitches begin labor very actively, and then the contractions stop. In such cases, calcium gluconate injections work well.

Keep records of the progress of labor . Record the time of birth of the puppy, gender, color, weight, characteristics. This will help you control the birth, and subsequently better distinguish between the puppies. The records look something like this: 1.23-30 marble male, 800 g, large black spot on the left shoulder, 2. 23-55 black female 780 g, white toes, round spot on the chest. And so on.

Childbirth does not always go smoothly. In our civilized and overly urbanized age, various complications during childbirth very often occur. In such cases, the owner’s main task is to call a veterinarian in a timely manner to provide qualified assistance. During the telephone conversation, be sure to discuss your actions before his arrival.

When should an owner be concerned?

If, despite all the signs of pregnancy, labor does not occur on time.
If there are signs of the preparatory period of labor, but labor itself does not occur, there are no contractions and attempts. With such signs, one can assume uterine atony, that is, the absence of labor.
If there are attempts and strong contractions, but the puppy is not born. In such cases, you cannot wait long (an hour maximum), otherwise the dog will become very tired from fruitless attempts and, after helping in the birth of the first puppy, will be unable to continue labor. The reasons for this situation may be the large size of the puppy, its incorrect position in the uterus, or the inversion of the uterine horn.
If only part of the puppy has appeared and, despite all the efforts of the bitch, it is not born. Most often this is due to the incorrect position of the fetal limbs. For example, if the puppy walks with its head, and you only see its muzzle and one paw. This means that the second limb in the shoulder is wrapped back and pressed against the body; the puppy in the shoulder girdle cannot pass through the bitch’s pelvic opening or through a narrow loop. This situation should be urgently discussed with a doctor, perhaps before his arrival you will be able to help the puppy. You can try to straighten his leg by holding him by the head (you need to act very carefully, using two fingers). Sometimes, if the puppy walks with his hind legs, his head gets stuck. In such cases, it is a little easier to help - at the moment of pushing, gently pull first on the legs, and when the body appears, on the torso.
If a puppy is born dead or with any abnormalities (for example, premature, without hair). A dead puppy may be the result of injury or weak labor.
If the bitch still has puppies in the uterus, and labor has stopped or greatly weakened.
If a bitch has puppies in the uterus, active labor remains, and puppies are not born (that is, only part of the litter was born). One can assume inversion of one uterine horn or part of the horn.
If after the birth of all the puppies there are placenta left in the uterus (that’s when keeping track of them will come in handy). Injections of contractile drugs, calcium gluconate, glucose with ascorbic acid are prescribed. It is imperative to monitor your body temperature.
If after the cessation of labor you have doubts whether all puppies were born.

What to do with puppies:

Puppies are usually born in the membranes.
These membranes should be immediately removed from the puppy's face to prevent him from suffocating. If the dog doesn't do it himself within a minute, then you should do it. These films are simply torn with your fingers. After this, the puppy should either be licked by the mother or rubbed with a dry towel.

If the puppy does not begin to breathe and squeak, you should try to remove the liquid from the puppy’s nostrils with a syringe (without a needle) or a small bulb and continue to rub it vigorously with a towel. However, only a qualified specialist can provide full assistance in this case.

After this you can deal with the umbilical cord. Usually the mother chews it herself. There is no urgency in this procedure, and you can give her 10-15 minutes to do it. If she doesn't do this, then you can tie it in a knot 2-3 cm from the puppy's belly and cut off the rest with scissors. Be careful not to pull on the umbilical cord to avoid damaging the puppy.

How to prepare for childbirth

The process of preparing for childbirth includes two main stages:

Site preparation;
Purchase of necessary drugs and instruments;

Let's consider each of them to get the most complete picture of events.

Preparing the place for birth and subsequent maintenance of puppies

Experienced breeders recommend preparing a place for whelping and keeping puppies in advance. The optimal solution would be 1.5-2 weeks before the expected moment of delivery. This will allow the bitch to get used to the new place and will relieve some of the stress when trying to place her in a new “nest” during the whelping process.

Secluded areas should be chosen to create a birthing area. It is ideal if a layer of thermal insulation is laid between the floor and the bed or box. This will reduce the negative impact of drafts and relieve pets from hypothermia in the winter. One side of the box or bed should be slightly lower than the others. Thanks to this, the animal can easily leave the bed or box. At the same time, the kids will not be able to get out of there on their own.

Blankets used during the whelping process most often become unsuitable for subsequent use and breeders simply throw them away. during the birth process, you will have to throw it out. It is also better to clear the room of carpets, since the process of giving birth to puppies can hardly be called impeccably clean.

It is important! in the cold season, it is necessary to take care of the nest heating system. A regular heating pad or heater does this job well.

The optimal temperature in the nest should be within 28 degrees during the first 10-12 days. And only after the above period it can be gradually increased to 20 degrees.

Preparing instruments and medications

Experienced breeders who plan to give birth to a dog themselves prepare a special set of tools and medications in advance. It will help save time searching for necessary items and allow you to pay maximum attention to the giving birth bitch.

Essential items include:

Oilcloths, sheets, as well as diapers for the bitch and a basin where all this will be folded after use;
Old clothes in which you will give birth;
A water or electric heating pad placed in a small box. It will play the role of a temporary nest for the babies so that they do not disturb the dog during the whelping process;
A thermometer for determining the bitch’s body temperature and a second one for determining the microclimate in the room;
Pre-sterilized tweezers, pipette, scissors. Processing is carried out by boiling. The manipulation takes 5-7 minutes. The lid should tightly cover the pan with the tools;
Syringes and sterile gauze pads for treating the injection site;
Diapers for wiping puppies;
Sterile suture material or silk threads placed in a glass with medical alcohol or vodka. They will be needed to tie the umbilical cord;
Scales for determining the weight of puppies, a notepad and pen for recording information about the offspring, a watch for tracking the dynamics of labor. Multi-colored woolen threads will also come in handy, which will allow you to mark the puppies if they have a similar color and lack characteristic features.

The above items, prepared in advance, will help save time and eliminate the risk of panic and confusion during the birth of offspring.

Experts include the following among the necessary medications:

Medical alcohol;
5% glucose solution;
Syntomycin ointment 10%;
Hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green solution.

It would also be a good idea to stock up on the veterinarian’s number in advance and discuss with him the possibility of an emergency call.

Rehabilitation after childbirth

The rehabilitation process for a strong and healthy animal does not last long. After just a few days, the bitch becomes more active and mobile. But for 2-3 weeks you should avoid excessive physical activity and strengthen your diet.

The animal requires more high-calorie and easily digestible food. A special diet for lactating and pregnant bitches is well suited. If the pet is on a natural diet, then dairy products, meat, and cottage cheese should be included in the daily diet. The bitch should be given a vitamin and mineral supplement rich in calcium, vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids.

When walking in the cold season, you can wear a bandage or overalls, which will prevent hypothermia of the mammary glands and the development of mastitis. Maintaining optimal temperature conditions in the room where the dog is located will reduce the risk of hypothermia and speed up the rehabilitation process.

Caring for newborn puppies and dogs

In the first hours after the birth of puppies, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian if he was not present and did not deliver the child. Babies need to be examined for the development of pathologies. Also, the new mother herself, especially the first-born, may need help. You need to sound the alarm in the following situations:

After giving birth, the bitch refuses to eat for a long period of time.
Changes in breathing rhythm after labor ends. The dog breathes heavily and opens its mouth.
There is a high temperature.
Vaginal discharge after childbirth has an unpleasant odor, reminiscent of rotting. The color becomes more intense and the volume increases.

The main direction in caring for a female after childbirth is to prevent the development of complications. The owner must provide conditions for the speedy recovery of the pet’s body, so that the care and feeding of newborn babies is at the proper level.

Professional breeders recommend not allowing the female to eat more than 3 placenta. This will avoid the development of diarrhea in the animal. Hormonal substances contained in the placenta have a beneficial effect on the process of milk production and proper contraction of the uterus. The amount of clean drinking water should be sufficient, but it is recommended that the dog drink in small portions.

As soon as the birth process is completed, the pet needs to be given time to recover, giving complete rest. It is necessary to change the dirty bedding with smudges to a clean one and leave the new mother and puppies alone. If the place where the dog gave birth is not warm enough, you can additionally insulate the nest, protecting it from drafts.

The female's nutrition is clearly regulated by the owner. Food portions should not be large, meals should be frequent. It is recommended to give easily digestible foods - fermented milk products, low-fat fish. Gradually, the caloric content of the diet increases, as well as the size of the portions. The meat is added much later. A dog accustomed to eating dry food should be switched to a special one intended for nursing mothers in advance of birth. It is advisable to place a bowl of food and water in close proximity to the nest.

The dog should be bathed no earlier than 7 days after a successful birth. The paws and nipples are washed with warm water, preventing infection from entering the box with the offspring. It is also recommended to treat the genitals with antiseptic solutions.

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Waiting for the birth of puppies is a joyful, exciting event for dog owners. But for many, a dog’s pregnancy and its birth are processes that raise a large number of questions. Before breeding a bitch, please read this article. Forewarned is forearmed!

The act of birth is a physiological process consisting of the removal of the fetus (fetuses) from the woman in labor, the expulsion of membranes (afterbirth) and fetal fluid due to active, periodically repeated contractions of the muscles of the uterus (contractions) and rhythmic contractions of the abdominal muscles (pushing) with the participation of the entire body of the female and fruit.

Many dogs refuse to eat 24-48 hours before giving birth.
When the rectal temperature drops below 37.0C, labor can be expected to begin within the next 24 hours.

Three stages of labor

I period. Lasts 6-24 hours. Weak contractions of the uterus (contractions) begin. The animal may become restless, run from corner to corner, suddenly freeze, breathe with its mouth open, tremble, dig and tear the bedding. Sometimes vomiting is possible during the first period. At the end of this period, the cervix dilates. If the bitch is in this state for more than a day, you need to consult a veterinarian.
II period. At this time, the rectal temperature rises to normal, intense contractions of the uterus and abdominal muscles (pushing) occur, and the puppy is born. This period lasts from 3 to 12 hours. The first fetus appears, as a rule, within 4 hours after the start of the 2nd period. If frequent and strong pushing lasts longer than 30 minutes, but the birth of a puppy does not occur, you need to contact your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. Once some part of the fetus has emerged, the whole fetus should be born within a few minutes. If more than 10 minutes have passed and the baby has not yet been fully born, this is a reason for immediate medical attention. Puppies can be born head first or tail first - both are normal for dogs. However, normally, in both cases, both front or both hind legs should appear along with the head or tail.
III period. The placenta (afterbirth, place) comes out. Each puppy has its own placenta, so you need to count the number that comes out. If you don’t have enough placenta, you shouldn’t panic right away. Very often bitches eat the placenta right away, you may not have noticed this. Usually they all come out within a couple of hours after the birth process begins. In general, retained placenta is an extremely rare problem. If the litter is multiple, eating 1-2 placentas is allowed; eating more placentas can lead to diarrhea and vomiting.